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Posted on Sat, Feb 27, 2010 : 3:27 p.m.

Pinball Pete's arsonist sentenced to 19 months to 10 years in prison

By Art Aisner

A homeless man who police say set fire to the former Pinball Pete’s arcade in Ann Arbor last fall was sentenced to prison, records show.

Justin Arens, 21, was ordered to serve between 19 months to 10 years in prison at his sentencing in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.

Justin_Arens.jpg

Justin Arens

He pleaded no contest to charges of preparation to burn and arson of real property last month, and prosecutors agreed to drop a felony charge of arson of personal property. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes in Michigan.

No one was injured in the Oct. 24 blaze that gutted the two-story structure along South University Avenue near the University of Michigan’s Central Campus.

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The vacant Pinball Pete's was gutted in an arson fire.

Police developed Arens as a suspect based on numerous tips from the public and arrested him near downtown Ann Arbor about a month after the fire. He then helped convince an accomplice, Ian MacKenzie, to turn himself in, officials said.

MacKenzie, 18, also faces arson charges and remains in custody on $50,000 bond. He has a jury trial scheduled for May 10, but his attorney recently filed a motion for consideration under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, court records show. The law allows those ages 17 to 20 who plead guilty to certain felony crimes a chance to have their record expunged upon completion of probation.

A judge’s ruling is pending.

Police said they believe the men were homeless and illegally stayed in the abandoned structure, which had become a haven for loiterers. Investigators have not released a motive for the arson.

Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 723-623-2530.

Comments

Griffen

Thu, Mar 4, 2010 : 12:40 p.m.

@ Justin S., I never said developers, you did. I'm simply asking for an investigation! But, hey, too bad since A2 is planning on reducing the Police force by another 40%. I guess we can expect more places to go up in smoke?

Justin S.

Mon, Mar 1, 2010 : 6:12 p.m.

"Why not go after the people who put him up to it? What did Justin Arens ever have to gain from setting fire to an old debilitated building sitting on prime real estate? Don't believe everything you read." People do destructive things sometimes, even when they have nothing to gain. Why would you automatically assume that some evil development company started the fire?

scooter dog

Mon, Mar 1, 2010 : 3:17 p.m.

3 hots and a cot with a roof over his head.Thats more than he had.he'll be lucky to do a yr with granholm calling the shots.I'll bet he walks in less than the min.

uawisok

Mon, Mar 1, 2010 : 12:12 p.m.

homeless squatter now gets free room and board on my dime....I agree with david, find who really benefits from the delappidated home in prime real estate spot being torched!!

clara

Sun, Feb 28, 2010 : 12:05 p.m.

@EyeHeartA2 The maximum sentence is set by the legislature. The lower, minimum sentence is determined by the Judge, usually based on the sentencing guidelines (also from the legislature). The guidelines look at the crime itself and the offender's history to come up with a range. Sometimes it is a range that pushes the sentence to probation or jail. Sometimes it allows prison. The guidelines are set up to make sentencing more consistent across the State's counties. This is how it works in Michigan. It is called indeterminate sentencing. So he will serve about 19 months prison (unless the MDOC diverts him to other programming) and he will parole for about a year and be done with the sentence.

Griffen

Sun, Feb 28, 2010 : 10:48 a.m.

Why not go after the people who put him up to it? What did Justin Arens ever have to gain from setting fire to an old debilitated building sitting on prime real estate? Don't believe everything you read.

ronn oneal

Sun, Feb 28, 2010 : 1:03 a.m.

19mo.? what a joke.. less time if he murdered someone like probation but let it had been a kid from the south side.. Just keepin it real...